1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dial plate for various meters installed on a motor vehicle, its manufacturing method, a meter using the dial plate, an in-vehicle status indicator and a meter using the indicator.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, the dial plate of an in-vehicle status indicator for various meters installed on a motor vehicle is constructed in such a fashion that a bright colored (e.g. white) transparent layer is applied on the one side of a transparent or semi-transparent plate-like substrate by screen printing means, and dark-colored printed opaque layer is formed except a contour of a scale or digits on the surface of the colored layer by the same printing means so that in the daytime, the scale and digits provided on the dial plate can be visually recognized by reflecting light, and at night, these scale and digits are illuminated with the light from a light source arranged on the rear side of the dial plate.
Meanwhile, when the dial plate is manufactured, the screen printing must be carried out to form the transparent colored layer and opaque printed layer so that the substrate used must be planar. Owing to this, it is difficult to carry out the screen printing on the substrate which is formed in a three-dimensional shape. For example, it was difficult to manufacture the three-dimensional dial plate with a sense of depth.
In order to manufacture the three-dimensional dial plate, it can be proposed to press-mold the dial plate so as to be three-dimensional after the transparent colored layer and the opaque printed layer have been formed. In this case, the press-molding is carried out after the screen printing so that production cost of the dial plate will be increased.
A first object of this invention is to provide a dial plate which can give a three-dimensional new shape at low cost, its manufacturing method and a meter using the dial plate.
Meanwhile, an in-vehicle status indicator as shown in FIG. 17 has been proposed to indicate many statuses of the vehicle collectively. This indicator includes various meters such as a speed meter 131 for indicating the running speed of a motor vehicle, a tachometer 132 for indicating the rotary speed of an engine, a fuel meter 133 for indicating the remaining level of fuel, etc.; a thermometer 134; a direction indicator 135; a transmission shift position indicator 136; and a warning indicator for lighting a warning light when the vehicle is out of order. These elements are arranged at different positions.
In this status indicator, however, the place of the indication a driver wants to confirm must be searched from various kinds of status indications. This is troublesome. In addition, since the respective status indications are arranged at different positions, the status indicator occupies a large space.
In view of such a problem, a second object of this invention is to provide an in-vehicle status indicator which requires a small space and a meter provided with such an indicator.
In order to attain the above first object, there is a method of manufacturing a dial plate comprising the steps of:
preparing a substrate having a curve with an opening formed at the center; and
attaching an indicating member onto the curve of the substrate, wherein
the indicating member is a planar ring-shaped transparent resin film having an indicating portion with a scale consisting of characters and symbols and a recess portion formed partially.
In this configuration, the dial plate having a new three-dimensional shape with a scale indication with a stereognostic sense can be easily manufactured at low cost.
There is provided a dial plate comprising:
a substrate having a curve with an opening formed at the center; and
an indicating member attached onto the curve of the substrate, wherein
the indicating member is a planar ring-shaped transparent resin film having an indicating portion with a scale consisting of characters and symbols and a recess portion formed partially.
In this configuration, the dial plate having a new three-dimensional shape with a scale indication with a sense of depth can be easily provided at low cost.
In the dial plate, preferably, the curve is conical. In this configuration, the dial plate can have a scale indication with a sense of depth in a three-dimensional shape.
Further, there is provided a meter comprising:
a dial plate described above and
a needle having a tip bent to match the curve and driven by a movement.
In this configuration, the meter can have a new three-dimensional shape with a scale indication with a sense of depth.
In order to attain the above second object, there is provided an in-vehicle status indicator comprising:
a transmission LCD panel;
a transmission backlight unit for illuminating the transmission LCD panel, which is arranged on the rear side of the transmission LCD panel;
a warning indicating portion arranged on the rear side of the backlight unit; and
a warning light source arranged on the warning indicating unit.
In this configuration, the space required for indication can be reduced.
Preferably, the in-vehicle status indicator further comprises a control means for controlling the transmission backlight unit and the warning light source so that while the transmission LCD panel is used, the transmission backlight unit is xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and the warning light source is xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d and while the while the warning display section is used, the transmission backlight unit is xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d and the warning light source is xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d.
In this configuration, since different status indications are made on the same position, user can easily recognize each status indication.
In the in-vehicle status indicator, preferably, the backlight unit comprises a light conducting plate, a light source for illuminating an edge of the light conducting plate and a reflector arranged around the light source.
In this configuration, backlighting based on the plane light on the transmission LCD panel can be made.
In order to attain the second object, there is also provided a meter comprising:
a dial plate having a indicating portion on which a scale composed of characters and symbols is indicated, and
an in-vehicle status indicator as claimed in claim 1, which is centrally arranged on the indicating portion.
In this configuration, the space required for indication is reduced, and since different status indications are made on the same position, a user can easily recognize each status indication.
In the meter, preferably, the indicating portion is conical. In this configuration, new meter indication can be made.
In order to attain the second object, there is also provided a meter comprising:
a dial plate having a indicating portion on which a scale composed of characters and symbols is indicated;
a needle arranged on the front side of the indicating portion;
a warning indicating portion centrally arranged on the indicating portion; and
a warning light source arranged on the rear side of the warning indicating portion;
a transmission backlight unit arranged on the front side of the warning display section and the needle; and
a transmission LCD panel arranged on the front side of the transmission backlight unit, which is illuminated with the transmission backlight unit.
In this configuration, the space required for indication can be reduced.
Preferably, the meter further comprises a control means for controlling the transmission backlight unit and the warning light source so that while the transmission LCD panel is used, the transmission backlight unit is xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and the warning light source is xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d and while the while the warning display section is used, the transmission backlight unit is xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d and the warning light source is xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d.
In this configuration, since different status indications are made on the same position, a user can easily recognize each status indication.
Preferably, the meter further comprises a cover with an indicating window through which indications on the warning display section and on the transmission LCD panel are visually recognized, the cover being arranged on the front side of the transmission LCD panel.
In order to attain the second object, there is also provided a meter comprising:
a dial plate having a indicating portion on which a scale composed of characters and symbols is indicated;
a needle arranged on the front side of the indicating portion;
a warning indicating unit centrally arranged on the front side of the indicating portion and on the front side of the needle; and
a LCD unit arranged on the front side of the warning displaying unit.
In this configuration, the space required for indication can be reduced.
In the meter, preferably, the warning displaying unit includes:
a light source plate equipped with a warning light source;
a reflecting member for reflecting light from the light emitted from the warning light source, the reflecting member being arranged on the front side of the light source plate and equipped with an opening in which the warning light source can be inserted;
a warning pattern arranged on the front side of the reflecting member and equipped with a warning workpiece for receiving the light reflected from the reflecting member; and
a case for securing the light source plate, the reflecting member and the warning pattern.
In this configuration, the warning indicating unit, which has an individual structure, can be easily assembled. Since the warning indicating unit is arranged in front of the needle, the warning workpiece can be arranged so that they can be visually recognized within an entire display area inclusive of the area in the vicinity of the rotary shaft of the needle.
In the meter, preferably, the warning light source is an LED, the LED being oriented to emit the light in a direction in parallel to a attaching plane of the light source substrate and
the reflecting member has a reflecting face which slopes from the rear side to the front side and is mat-finished, the reflecting face being formed on the tip side of the LED when inserted in the opening.
In this configuration, since the warning indicating unit can be made thin, the distance between the conical display section of the dial plate and the LCD display unit is shortened. Therefore, the visibility will not be lowered owing to an increase in the distance.
In the meter, preferably, an entirety of the reflecting member or at least the inner wall of the opening and the reflecting face are coated with white paint.
In this configuration, the warning workpiece can be illuminated with the plane light reflected from the reflecting face.
In the meter, preferably, the LCD unit comprises:
a transmission backlight unit;
a transmission LCD panel which is arranged on the front side of the transmission backlight unit and illuminated with the transmission backlight unit; and
a cover for fixing the transmission backlight unit and the transmission LCD panel, which is equipped with a display window through which the indication on the transmission LCD panel is visually recognized.
In this configuration, the LCD unit, which has an individual structure composed of elements for LCD, can be easily assembled.
Preferably, the meter further comprises a control means for controlling the transmission backlight unit and the warning light source so that while the transmission LCD panel is used, the transmission backlight unit is xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and the warning light source is xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d and while the while the warning display section is used, the transmission backlight unit is xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d and the warning light source is xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d.
In this configuration, since different status indications are made on the same position, a user can easily recognize each status indication.
In the meter, preferably, the indicating portion is conical, and
a tip of the needle has a shape bent to match a slope of the indicating portion.
In this configuration, new meter indication can be made.
The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.